O'Neill sees Champions League slip away

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill admits his side now face a tall order to qualify for the Champions League after being held to a 2-2 home draw by Everton.

Villa created a host of first-half chances but needed a late own goal from Everton defender Phil Jagielka to earn them a share of the spoils. It means they have now drawn six of their past seven matches at Villa Park and their hopes of a top-four finish are now hanging by a slender thread.

The result also did no favours to Everton in their bid to claim a Europa League spot. O'Neill said: "Maybe a point did not suit either team in terms of our respective aspirations, Everton in terms of European football and ourselves in terms of something higher."

He added: "I thought before the game to give ourselves a proper chance (of Champions League football) we have to win all six remaining games.

"Now I would say we have to win the whole lot from here. It is not impossible but it will be tough. We will just give it all that we can."

O'Neill felt the least his team deserved was a point with Gabriel Agbonlahor's 50th Villa goal and Jagielka's helping hand cancelling out two goals from Tim Cahill.

He said: "It was a great spectacle from start to finish. We deserved the equaliser at the end.

"We should have been in front at half time. We had to chase the game all evening.

"We got our first equaliser and then conceded another poor goal from our viewpoint but we again came back."